I decided to address a question that I have been getting a lot of lately. I want to preface this post by saying that this way is not the only way. Every device and every app is different. This way may not work for you the way you want, but might help you figure out a way that will for you. It is ever important to be persistent when trying to figuring it out. What a great opportunity to model these types of soft skills for your students. (If I’m not sure how to do something, I literally type a question into Google, watch a few videos, read a few articles, and play until I figure it out. Trial and error). Also, don’t forget your most valuable asset, the expertise of your students.
In my class, most of the time we are using iPads. Students are allowed to bring their own device and use it in class as well, so its not like we get to follow these steps on a day to day basis. But like I said above, if my students aren’t sure, we figure it out together in class. The next time, they can help a peer and they see that persistence pays off.
In order to submit oral recordings on Google Classroom from a device (such as an iPad), the audio file needs to be uploaded to Google Drive. We use Voice Recorder for this. Any voice recorder will work, but can change the steps required to submit the oral recording.
Students can use whatever recorder they want. If they use voice recorder on an Apple device, when your file is open, you click the share button (top right corner) and then ‘open in’ and choose ‘Google Drive‘ (as long as Google Drive is also downloaded to their device), it uploads to their drive as an audio file automatically. 
Once it is uploaded, I recommend they rename the file before submitting it to you from their Google Drive on Google
Classroom (i.e. with the name of the assignment and the date). This makes it easier for students to find their work within their own Google Drive at a later time.
With other devices, and some different apps, uploading the audio file to Google Drive directly is not an option. In this case, students can email themselves the audio file to the gmail account associated with their Google Drive and Google Classroom account.
In Voice Recorder (when you open your file), you can click the share button in the top right corner, then click ‘Share’.
They need to send this email to the email address associated with their Google Drive and Google Classroom Accounts.
(this is an iPad view, however it can be done on a computer too) When they open this email, there is an option to ‘open the file in google drive’ which will save it to their drive. Once saved, they can again rename it before submitting it on the google classroom assignment.
If following these steps, when they go to submit the assignment in Google Classroom, they will select the ‘add’ button then scroll down the pop up menu to ‘from Google Drive’. Now they will be able to search for the audio file they just uploaded by its name and attach it to the assignment. Once it is attached, they click ‘Turn In’ (they will have to click it twice) and it will say ‘Done’ beside their assignment when it has been submitted properly.
From a computer, they would record their audio on whatever recorder is on the computer and then upload directly to their google drive or they can likely upload the file directly to the Google classroom assignment too. The one thing that is nice about uploading it to drive first always, is that it keeps an online portfolio for the students so they can see the progress that they have made and if for some reason they forget to submit the work or can ‘t find it, its always backed up in Drive.
Essentially, the goal is to get their audio file uploaded to google drive (and renamed) so that it can easily by submitted on google classroom. It will make your life easier if the files are renamed. When they submit the files on Google classroom, you will notice that a folder is automatically created in your Google drive and that all of their audio files will be placed in this folder as well. Its amazing!
We do this almost on a weekly basis. Students record themselves talking about their weekends, they record questions and answers based on structured topics, they submit recordings of personal opinions. We use the recordings so students can give one another feedback, I can give them feedback and they can self-reflect on their own speaking and progress in the second language. I find students have an opportunity to gain confidence and independence. Students are more will to take chances with these types of activities because they aren’t being forced to speak in front of a crowd. And the evidence I can gather is amazing!
To Submit on Google Classroom
To submit on Google Classroom, they open the assignment by clicking on ‘open’.
Click ‘Add’ and then choose the location of the file you want to add. For us, after uploading the file to Google Drive (or opening-in) we choose this option.
Once open, you can still switch between how you want to add the file. In Drive, you will notice that you can search through your files by the name of them to quickly locate what you want to attach to the assignment. When you have found the file you want to add (An audio file in our case), click on it so the ‘Add’ button becomes a darker blue and you can click on it. Once you do so, it attaches into the assignment like the last image. Now the ‘turn in’ button is a darker blue and can be clicked. Once clicked, and confirmed, the red Not Done will turn to a Green Done. And Voila, the student is finished their work and you receive the audio file in your google drive folder. Hope this helps!
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